According to the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Kentucky is ranked in the top seven most physically inactive States in the nation. In the most recent survey of Extension, 15.9% of open – ended question responses indicated “Need for youth development programs including recreation and physical activities, mental health support, prevention of bullying, youth violence and programs targeting youth life skills”.  The Mind/Body Connection yoga-based exercise program conducted in conjunction with the Metcalfe County Elementary 21^st Century afterschool program, targets these needs.  

Prior to the pandemic and resuming in 2022, the Metcalfe County FCS Extension Agent partners with the Metcalfe County Elementary School 21^st Century afterschool program to provide Mind/Body Connection, Yoga-based exercise.  Fifty-two thirty-minute sessions of Mind/Body Yoga-based exercise were supplied between October 2024 and May 2025, on twenty-eight different dates.  These sessions provided warm -  up movement, deep breathing exercise, basic Hatha Yoga-based head-to-toe stretching exercises: from standing, kneeling, and laying on an exercise mat, exercises that challenge the balance, and a final relaxation simple meditation exercise.  The stretching exercises practiced, were varied from session to session.  Youth participants learn how to “listen to their bodies” and accommodate movement to develop individualized, safe stretching exercise practices.  Participants learn how to match stretching movements with deep breathing practice, for improved muscle flexibility and targeted stress release.

Eighty-nine youth aged 5 – 11 years, take part in the 21^st Century afterschool program.  As of May 2025, the demographic make-up of the group was: forty-two male, forty-seven female, two African American, one Hispanic, and two participants identified with special needs.  Youth participants in 21^st Century afterschool program are broken out into four – five different age-based groups, depending on the number of participants present each day.  Each thirty-minute session of Mind/Body Yoga-based exercise supplied, has between 12 – 25 student participants, with two adult staff observing.

Adult 21^st Century staff were provided with written program evaluation based on their observations/participation during the 2024/25 school year.  Adult staff agreed that students progressed to participating with the Yoga program with infrequent need for 21^st Century staff intervention, saw significant improvements in youth participant abilities to follow FCS instructor’s direction, modeling of specific exercises, and ability to practice the exercises offered.   Thirty-eight percent indicated that they have observed students practicing Yoga poses/stretches, deep breathing exercises, or self-massage on their own, and unprompted outside of the Agent-led sessions with 21^st Century, and that they have implemented some of the exercises learned from the Agent-led sessions with their students. Sixty-three percent of the staff have taken part with the students in the Agent-led Mind/Body Exercise sessions.  Fifty percent noted an improvement in student ability to self-regulate mood or attitude, after participation in the mind/body Yoga-based stretching Agent-led sessions.

Youth participants were evaluated by 21sty Century staff, without the Agent who leads this program present, using dot charts and stickers supplied by the FCS Agent.   The youth evaluation included five questions with yes or no answer options.  Fifty-five of the eighty-nine youth participants were present for the evaluation activity.  61.8% of youth agreed that participation in the Mind/Body Yoga-based stretching helps them to relax, 69 % agreed that it helps them stretch their muscles, 38 % indicated they do some of the exercises learned in this program outside of the 21^st Century program arena on their own, 56 % agree the Yoga-based stretching exercise helps them to release stress, and 65 % agree that participating in the Agent – led exercise program has improved their balance.